Exclusive Trusted Magazine Q&A with Patricia Majule , Director & Founder@Unique Favors Tz
Early Beginnings:
Can you share with us what inspired you to embark on the journey of entrepreneurship, especially at such a young age?
2006 : My business passion and journey started as early as in 2006, aged 12 when I had just completed grade 7, and my mum trusted me with a small capital of 20,000tsh to start a credit selling business, by that time we could only buy credit cards and scratch to get the vouchers, over a long holiday waiting to go to secondary school, this business turned my mindset and focus into business, and vowed that I will work hard to be a big business woman in the future and at the same time bring impact to the society..
2008: In form 2, heading to form 3 based on our county’s education system, we do perform the National Exams whereby the results would determine if you would do science , business or arts, I had performed best in all subjects and they selected me to science, I refused as I really wanted to focus on business so my Parents had to drop by to speak to the academics and I was finally placed into business class, I was super excited and promised to do my best
2010: As I was completing my secondary education, I did my best in business and was even awarded a certificate as the Overall best student in commercial subjects, this brought more life in embarking my business journey
2013: I completed high school this year at the age of 19, and it is the year that I started my business while waiting to go to university. I started with making small and large gift items made of left overs eggshells, I had thought of starting a business with little capital yet at the same time controlling environment waste. My first clients where mostly family members I also started posting in Facebook account and slowly the business started growing, my dad gave me 35$ to assist me as capital, and to date am grateful because it pushed me to where I am today.
Overcoming Obstacles: As a young female entrepreneur in Africa, what have been
some of the most significant barriers you've faced, and how did you overcome
them?
As a young Female Entrepreneur, one of the barriers I have faced is access to
growth finance to expand the business, in my country its difficult to secure big
loans to help the business, to me this is a big delay to do bigger projects that will
help touch more people through direct & indirect employment. So for now we try
our best to slowly grow through ploughing back of profit injecting it back to the
business for growth.
Support Systems:
How important have mentorship and networking been in your
entrepreneurial journey? Can you share an instance where this support made a
significant difference?
As a young Entrepreneur, Mentorship and networking play a great role in growth
not only personal growth but also growth as a business, I am glad to have
attended some mentorship, but one remarkable mentorship and networking that
made a significant difference in my life is the one I attended last year 2023 in
Nairobi, Kenya namely YALI (Young Africans Leadership Initiative) it involved more
than 6 countries, I learnt a lot especially in enhancing team work and inclusivity in
my company, I had a great chance to network with other countries and created a
strong bond that will be fruitful in the coming years both professionally &
personally
Industry Challenges:
What are some unique challenges you believe young female
entrepreneurs face in your industry, and what strategies have you employed to
navigate these challenges?
Owning and running a Manufacturing business in the industry that is not yet
flooded it’s a bit challenging because most of the things, technics /methods and
products you introduce to the market tend to be new so extra effort is required to
educate and make the products user friendly to the end users, and with the
financial barriers to inject intensive marketing as a business I am forced to reach
more people with some unique programs that I have created for the business, one
of the program is FAIDIKA POPOTE that helps the unemployed youth at home to
be able to remotely work with us to earn their living at the same time helping our
business grow..
Innovation and Adaptation: In what ways have you had to innovate or adapt your
business model to thrive in the African market?
Being in manufacturing we are automatically forced to be innovative from time to
time especially in helping to simplify productivity and also since we deal with party
items, styles and trends tend to change from time to time, and our aim is to
customize items based on our clients needs and satisfaction so we frequently
review and update our methods to meet the market demand
Societal Impact: Your work not only contributes to economic growth but also has a
societal impact. Can you discuss how your business endeavors have contributed to
community development or empowerment, especially for women?
At a business level through our FAIDIKA POPOTE program that is a Swahili word
meaning (benefit wherever you are) it’s a program that does not only benefit
youth but also women especially housewives, our program is categorized in 3
major groups, one which allows individuals to work remotely from their homes and
earn money in return, this is one of the major contribution our company is
initiating to empower more women & youth
At a personal level, after experiencing a big business setback in 2021, that almost
took me to severe depression, one year later I initiated a launching of a mental
health platform to help individuals especially women going through mental health
problems to get quick and immediate help.
Leadership Philosophy: How would you describe your leadership style, and how
has it evolved as your business has grown?
My leadership style is best described as adaptable and collaborative. I believe in
empowering my team members to take ownership of their work while providing
guidance and support as needed. As my business has grown, my leadership style
has evolved to become more inclusive and strategic.
Initially, I focused more on direct supervision and ensuring tasks were completed
efficiently. However, as the team expanded and we faced more complex
challenges, I realized the importance of fostering a collaborative environment
where everyone's input is valued. This shift in approach has led to greater
innovation and problem solving within the team.
I also recognize the importance of leading by example and maintaining open
communication channels. Transparency has become a cornerstone of my
leadership style, as it fosters trust and alignment among team members.
Additionally, I prioritize ongoing learning and development, both for myself and for
my team, to ensure we stay ahead of industry trends and continue to deliver highquality results.
